The commercial freight transportation market is enormous and continues to expand every year. According to some industry estimates, in 1996 the U.S. market had aggregate revenues of $451 Billion. The trucking or motor carrier segment earned about $342 Billion or about 76% of the total commercial freight transportation market. The North American Free Trade Agreement has also expanded the North American freight market. Similar growth trends can be observed in both developed and developing countries all over the world.
However, along with the growth of the freight carrier industry comes an alarming increase in the number of instances of cargo theft. Although cargo theft has always been a problem, it is increasing at a disproportionately high rate, to a level which is becoming unacceptable to the trucking industry and also to the cargo insurance carriers. This is at least partly due to the increased value of shipments which may include electronic devices needed to meet the demands of an ever expanding electronics market.
Examples of such electronic devices include personal computers, cellular phones, pagers, high definition television, hand-held and other video cameras and similar highly-valued but small and compact electronic devices. Such small but expensive devices can easily be removed and carried away from a freight carrier or trailer while a driver is merely taking a rest break.
The transportation industry has recently begun to take appropriate action to overcome this growing problem. For example, at the May 1998 Annual Conference of Transportation Loss Prevention and Security Council, the subjects addressed included many cargo or load security issues. Law enforcement agencies are also exchanging cargo theft information and developing working relationships among various agencies in order to be more effective in fighting cargo load theft.
Another resource in fighting load theft is the locking device which is installed on trailer to lock-up the load. Although the load lock itself is obviously the first line of defense, it has received little if any attention in the past with regard to lock improvements. Typically, the back doors of a trailer close with one over-lapping the other, and the trailer load lock consists of a metal arm on the outside of the overlapping door which is manually rotated to a closed position securing both doors together. Typically, the rotating locking arm is secured in place by means of only a padlock device. Such locking devices and others currently in use are relatively easily and quickly removed to allow quick access to the load inside the trailer. Thus, there is a need for an improved load locking device for use on trailer and other doors, and which is effective to provide increased security against lock-tampering and load theft.